What a simple pleasure it is to have a drink at the end of the day while the stress of work recedes like the tide. But alcohol—especially good liquor—is expensive. Some claim there are simple tricks that can elevate cheap booze to the top of the shelf, so today we’re testing a few ways to improve mediocre liquor.

It’s commonly said that running cheap vodka repeatedly through a water filter will make it less harsh to drink, so we poured our vodka four times through a Brita filter to see if it could lift our spirits. We also tried aerating budget wine in a blender and enhanced some middling whiskey with a few ingredients. And so we drink—so that you may benefit from our knowledge.